Minerals

What is a mineral?
5 Characteristics of a mineral
 Naturally Occurring
 Inorganic (Not Living)
 Always a solid
 Has a definite chemical composition
 Atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern
(creates crystals)
 Mineral Identification
 Scientists identify
mineral based on their
properties.
 Color and appearance
are 2 clues that we use
to identify minerals.
 Are color and
appearance enough?
 No WAY!
 Hardness
 The measure of how easily a mineral can be
scratched by other minerals.
 To compare hardness a list of common minerals and
their hardness was developed by Friedrich Mohs.
 We call is the Mohs scale. 1 = Softest, 10 = Hardest.
 Luster
 Luster describes how
light is reflected from a
minerals surface.
 Luster is either metallic
(shiny and metal – like)
or non-metallic (not
shiny)
 Color
 The color of a mineral can serve as a clue
to it’s identity.
 However, color is NOT enough to
determine the identity of a mineral.
 Ex: Quartz
 Streak
 Streak is the color of a mineral
when it is broken down into a
powdered form.
 When a mineral is rubbed across a
Streak Plate, the mineral that is left
behind is powdered.
 The streak test will only work for
minerals that are softer than the
streak plate.
 Why?
 Cleavage and Fracture
 Cleavage is a property
that minerals have when
they break along
smooth, flat surfaces.

 Fracture is a property
that minerals have when
they break along rough,
jagged surfaces.
 Other Properties

 Some minerals are magnetic

(Ex: Magnetite)
 Some minerals fizz when
they come in contact with
an acid. (Ex: Calcite)
 Video Clip Questions
1. How many minerals found in nature?
2. About how many are important in
developing rocks?
3. How many properties tests are used
to identify minerals?
4. Which is more dense? Nonmetal
base or metal base?